Smile #216 – Bechler by Night

Many can recognize the shiny disco mosaics sculpture on S. Tryon, but how many can tell you about the museum behind it. I admit, I can’t…I have passed by the building numerous time over the years, but not once have I stepped inside. This statement will change after tonight.

The building referred to is the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The famous sculpture is titled the Firebird or Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur l’Arche by an artist named Niki de Saint Phalle.

I stumbled across Bechler by Night program via Charlotte Agenda’s Agenda Weekender. In partnership with Bank of America, the Bechtler Museum hosts Bechtler By Night. On the third Friday of each month, the museum opens its four gallery floor to allow guests who don’t normally have the opportunity to see the galleries during normal hours. February’s theme is Travel Abroad. The title was enough to convinced we must go.

Unsure of what to expect, Bubble and I were greeted by quite a crowd. People clustered around the welcome table for their passport and bingo card. With the passport, you are to search for arts and artists from different parts of the world. The bingo card is basically a scavenger hunt. Mark down the floor the image was found on the card and return for a prize.

We headed straight to the fourth floor and began our walk through Bechler Collection: Relaunched and Rediscovered collection. The expansive collection includes work from a variety of different artists. Bubble and I both enjoyed the pop art section. One painting poked fun of consumerism. Another mocked America’s democracy. We then made our way down to Alberto Giacometti: 45 Drawings Portfolio exhibit. His work includes sculptures and paintings.

As we strolled through the museum, we hunted for items on our bingo cards. We had a lot of fun competing against each other. Bubble and I managed to find all the images, except one. We have no idea where it could be from. All the big prizes were already given out, but we are free to pick up a postcard. Bubble picked one with the Small Swiss Female Head and I picked the Alberto Giacometti, Annette. Both were on our Bingo sheet.

We both enjoyed our night at the museum. It was a unique way of engaging with the art. 🙂